Multi-Omics Insights into the Role of Dulcitol in Weaned Piglets’ Growth Performance and Intestinal Health

Weaning is known to induce oxidative stress and dysregulated inflammatory responses, thus damaging performance growth. This research was conducted to investigate the effects of dulcitol (Dul) on the growth performance and gut health of weaned piglets using multi-omics technologies. Two groups (n = 6, 6 pigs per replicate) of piglets (28 days old, BW, 8.91 ± 0.18 kg) were randomly assigned to receive either a basal diet supplemented with Dul (500 mg/kg) or without it for a period of 28 days. The findings indicated that the addition of Dul to the diet improved growth performance and had positive effects on antioxidant and anti-inflammatory statuses in weaned piglets (p < 0.05). Dul also strengthened intestinal barrier integrity via decreased diamine oxidase and D-lactate and elevated tight junction proteins (i.e., ZO-1, CLDN, and OCLN, p < 0.05). Multi-omics analyses demonstrated that Dul induced modifications in colonic protein expression associated with oxidative stress and glucose metabolism, altered linoleic acid metabolic pathways, and restructured the gut microbiota. This restructuring was characterized by a decreased prevalence of genera linked to inflammation and oxidative stress, including Proteobacteria, Prevotella, and Prevotellaceae_NK3B31_group. Collectively, the findings indicate that Dul promotes intestinal wellness and growth in weaned piglets through intricate interactions between gut microbiota and host metabolic processes.